Chapter 10) Before there was Leatherman…….

freezergeezer said:
Sorry to ressurect an old thread, but I just had to boast about getting one of these - the OSS type as per Bob's post above! :D
I spotted it in a car boot sale at the weekend & couldn't believe it! It's in perfect condition apart from some surface rusting. Best of all the guy didn't know what it was & I got it for £3!!! :eek: :D :D

I am seriously chuffed!! :D
Matt
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Congratulations on the deal of the century freezergeezer!!:thumbup:

.....and if you ever feel like DOUBLING your investment, I would be happy to offer you £6 for your escape knife!;)

Seriously though, I am curious about exactly which variation you have obtained. Does yours have rounded side panels on the knife body, or are they somewhat flattened? Does yours have the Joseph Rodgers stamping on the knife blade? (I understand that some of the military versions had no makers marks.)

~Bob
 
sparkee said:
Thanks again Jooliesews for another great read!

So when does the book come out and can we order copies online?
You already have a lot of advance orders from all the people around here.

Looking forward to your next thread.
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Thanks for the book encouragement sparkee, but my financial adviser (i.e. my wife) advises me to hold out for a deal of at least seven figures!;)
In the mean time, I'll try to occasionally post an article or two here on bladeforums, so you fellas can proof read them for me.:rolleyes:
Thanks,
~Bob
 
JOOLIESEWS said:
Congratulations on the deal of the century freezergeezer!!:thumbup:

.....and if you ever feel like DOUBLING your investment, I would be happy to offer you £6 for your escape knife!;)

Seriously though, I am curious about exactly which variation you have obtained. Does yours have rounded side panels on the knife body, or are they somewhat flattened? Does yours have the Joseph Rodgers stamping on the knife blade? (I understand that some of the military versions had no makers marks.)

~Bob
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Thanks mate! :)
Unfortunately for you, I know what it's worth! :p
It is a military version - absolutely no markings whatsoever, which is why I'm convinced that it's SOE / MI9, not commercial. The frame is flat sided, no scales. In fact, it's exactly the same one as the second Fleabay item you posted earlier: "OSS Escape Tool: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...e=STRK:MEWA:IT "
And that one had a missing saw & both other saws were broken at the tip. I'm sure you know what it went for. Stupidly I told the wife. Her reply "If it's worth that much, sell it!" Wives - they just don't understand. :rolleyes: :p

Edit: I'll add some pics soon.
 
Here is an interesting quote I found somewhere on the internet:

Some of these escape knives were made by Joseph Rodgers, and some by George Ibberson, who also made the British gravity knife. Both makers were located in Sheffield, England, and both are out of business. The knives in Cole's book all came from Joseph Rodgers. And since they are all unmarked, it's no easy task to tell the two makers apart. A number of years ago, Mr. Billy Ibberson told me the way to do it. He said: "The Rodgers knives have a pretty sharp point on the backs of the saw blades. We smoothed ours off; ours have a slight curve".

I take this to mean that the saw blades on the Ibberson-made tools have a curved end, similar in shape to a sheepsfoot knife blade. However, I've never seen one, and so can't be sure.

~Bob
 
Bob, if that's true then mine must be a Rogers.

Here's the pics I promised:
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47b6d829b3127cce89a01164040e00000010108AaNGLJw1bOG

47b6d829b3127cce89a01173852900000010108AaNGLJw1bOG

47b6d829b3127cce89a011d404be00000010108AaNGLJw1bOG

47b6d829b3127cce89a0154c042400000010108AaNGLJw1bOG


Sorry my photographic skills aren't too good.
Best regards
Matt
 
Terrific reading as usual. Put me on the mailing list when the book comes out:D
 
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Ooooh! That is indeed a sweet one freezergeezer!!!! Definitely a Joe Rodgers. And in addition to some fine looking blades, it also appears as if the screwdriver on the end of your escape tool is in great shape. Previous ones I've seen have been abused by chiseling or twisting.
Lucky you!:thumbup:
 
Thanks gentlemen! I must admit these old tools have become somewhat of a passion of mine. Uncovering the history behind them can be a somewhat frustrating experience, as much of the information has been lost to the ages.

Every now and then though, I will stumble across an interesting tidbit or two, enough to piece together the rest of a story. There are many books and publications that deal with vintage knives, but only very few touch upon the topic of multi-purpose knives.

Maybe someday we'll have enough material here for a book of our own...?

~Bob
 
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